new delhi, April 10
Ayush Shetty continued his giant-killing spree at the Badminton Asia Championships, by pulling off another major upset to storm into the semi-finals with a straight-games win over Jonatan Christie at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center in Ningbo, China on Friday.
The Indian shuttler defeated the world No. 4 and third seed 23-21, 21-17 in a high-quality contest, marking his first-ever victory over Christie in their maiden meeting. With this result, Ayush became the first Indian men’s singles player since HS Prannoy in 2018 to secure a medal at the continental showpiece.
His assured run has also ended India’s wait for a podium finish at the event since the men’s doubles gold medal won by Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy in 2023. Ayush will now face the winner of the semi-final clash between Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist, and Weng Hongyang as he looks to extend his dream run.
The opening game proved to be a closely-fought battle, with both players matching each other point for point. Christie held a narrow 11-10 lead at the mid-game interval, and after the restart, the Indonesian appeared to seize control, moving ahead to 18-15 and earning a game point. However, Ayush showed remarkable composure under pressure, mounting a strong comeback to level the scores and eventually edge the game in a tense finish.
The second game followed a similar pattern, with neither player willing to concede an inch. Ayush went into the break with a slender 11-9 advantage and, this time, managed to maintain his momentum after the interval. Displaying greater control and precision, he gradually tightened his grip on the rallies and closed out the match in straight games to book his place in the last four.
Earlier in the tournament, Ayush had already signalled his intent with a stunning victory over world No. 7 and reigning Asian Games champion Li Shi Feng in the opening round. He followed that up with another solid performance against Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei to secure his quarter-final berth.
Elsewhere, India’s campaign saw mixed results, as two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu exited in the second round, while Lakshya Sen bowed out in the opening round.
